November 2011: Market Shift: The Story Of The Compact For Safe Cosmetics And The Growth In Demand For Safe Cosmetics

Market Shift: The Story Of The Compact For Safe Cosmetics And The Growth In Demand For Safe Cosmetics

by the Campaign for Safe CosmeticsNovember 30th, 2011

[Note: Herban Lifestyle is proud to be one of the companies that earned the distinction of Champion under this effort]

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ report Market Shiftdescribes the seven-year project during which the Campaign worked with companies through the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, the voluntary pledge to avoid chemicals banned in other countries, avoid harmful ingredients whenever possible and fully disclose product ingredients.

Market Shift highlights the 322 cosmetics companies (we call them “Champions”) that met the goals of the Compact. Another 110 companies (we call them “Innovators”) made significant progress toward those goals.* This is great news for you, the consumer, and for the Campaign, the cosmetics industry and the lawmakers working to pass the Safe Cosmetics Act. These 432 companies are leading the industry toward safety, showing it’s possible to make products without using the hazardous chemicals that are all too common in conventional personal care products.

More than 1,500 companies signed the Compact from its inception in 2004 until 2011. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics closed the Compact in August 2011. The research team at Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database developed tools for tracking each company’s compliance with the goals of the Compact. Through these tools the Campaign determined that 322 companies achieved “Champion” status by fulfilling the goals of the Compact, and another 110 companies reached “Innovator” status by getting most of the way there.

The report describes how these companies – from small mom-and-pop businesses to some of the largest businesses in the natural products sector – are setting a new high-bar standard for personal care products. The Champions are demonstrating best practices by:

Making effective products without using ingredients linked to cancer or birth defects.

Disclosing all their ingredients, including those that make up “fragrance,” showing that it’s not necessary to hide these ingredients from the public.

Working together with nonprofit health groups to increase market demand for safe, sustainable products and practices.

Please read and share the Market Shift report with your friends and family, and vote with your dollars to support companies that are doing the right thing- keeping toxic chemicals out of people and the environment.